You want your team to pick Shaquem Griffin in the 2018 NFL draft

You want your team to pick Shaquem Griffin in the 2018 NFL draft

The player who seemed like a recruiting afterthought coming out of high school is the same one every team should be coveting in the 2018 NFL draft.

It’s no secret UCF’s Shaquem Griffin is one of this year’s best feel-good stories in sports, having defied odds and doubters alike to become a star on the football field despite having just one hand. But it’s more than that.

Regardless of how many hands he has, Griffin is simply a dominant football player and an impressive human being, and every single NFL fan should be begging their team to draft him.

A highly productive and decorated player for the Knights, Griffin lined up all over the field, and dominated everywhere he went. A two-time first-team all-conference player, Griffin was named the American Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure I get on that field."@Shaquemgriffin is ready to make his name in the NFL ⬇️

An unquestioned leader on the field and in the locker room, Griffin was the heart and soul of a UCF team that stood alone at the end of the 2017 season as the only undefeated team in the FBS, capping off their improbable run with a Peach Bowl win over Auburn.

He can play off the ball. He can play on the edge. He can move out to the slot. He can play safety. And boy, will he ever play on special teams. The leadership, the versatility, the determination . . . it’s all rolled into a complete package that should make Griffin one of the most sought-after prospects in this year’s draft class.

Griffin’s performance at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, which began with him putting up a ridiculous 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press using a prosthetic, should just be the icing on the cake. Everything he’s done on and off the field should have him locked in as a top-100 player in this year’s draft.